Juvenile Trends

Juvenile Trends

Joseph Ryan, a member of MCJJ and professor of social work at the University of Michigan, was recently highlighted for his work with MCJJ in an article posted to the faculty news section of the university's Public Engagement & Outreach site.

In a New York Times article titled "States Move Toward Treating 17-Year-Old Offenders as Juveniles, Not Adults" Erik Eckholm describes how states are are participating in a national “raise the age” movement that has won bipartisan support.

Those 17 and under would be placed into the juvenile criminal justice system instead of the current 16 and under, except for the most serious crimes, under legislation unanimously approved Tuesday by the House Criminal Justice Committee.

The U. S. Supreme Court has ruled that its 2012 ban on automatic life sentences without parole for those who committed crimes as juveniles must be applied retroactively. The ruling means more than 350 Michigan prisoners sentenced for crimes committed when they were 16 or younger may be considered for parole.

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA), will provide technical assistance to up to three agencies to implement the new Youth in Custody Practice Model.

In an editorial headlined "Raise the Age," the Detroit News supported legislative efforts aimed at treating juvenile offenders differently than adults and giving them the best chance to become productive, law-abiding adults.

Mary Beth Kelly, chair of the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice, voiced her support of legislation to treat more young people in the juvenile justice system, rather than the adult criminal justice system.

New information on juvenile arrests and juvenile arrest rates in Michigan in 2013 is now available on this Web site. The data are broken down by type of crime and gender, age, and race. It includes arrest information for the state as a whole and for each county.

Michigan juveniles convicted in adult courts have the right to let a jury decide sentences when they face the possibility of a life sentence with no possibility of parole, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Mary Beth Kelly, who chairs the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice, announced she is stepping down from the high court on Oct. 1. She will remain as chair of the MCJJ and plans to focus more attention on juvenile justice.

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